The Catskills region of the eastern United States, just two hours northeast of New York City, was the birthplace of a uniquely American style of fly that continues to grace the bins of fly shops around the world. Mike Valla explores the essence of Catskill flies, delving into the history of the region's rivers, fly fishers, and fly tiers and blending their colorful histories with precise step-by-step tying methods. He compares the styles of all of the Catskill school of fly tiers and shares color photos of never-before-seen flies from the vaults of the Catskill Fly Fishing Museum as well as detailed tying steps for 11 Catskill-style fly patterns. This book is essential for those not only interested in learning to tie the Catskill-style flies, but also those interested in the history of American fly fishing.

43 American fly-tying masters, including Mary Orvis Marbury, Thaddeus Norris, and Theodore Gordon.

A complete, full-color course in fly tying. Step-by-step photos and text for more than 100 patterns.

Inside Fly Tying is filled with a master fly tier's tips for solving common problems and simplifying tying methods. Includes new patterns and materials and innovative ways of tying classic flies.Tips include: Finding quality hackle and tying hackle-quill bodies--Dyeing and stripping peacock quills for bodies--Dubbing and winging a Wulff-style dry fly--Tying wood duck wings, single-feather parachutes, and foam-post parachutes--Using hen and rooster capes and mallard flank feathers for streamers--New alternative materials for Spey flies, Muddlers, Bombers, and stonefly nymphs--Tying a spinner with an egg sac--A hackling method for the Hewitt Skater--The advantages of tying with Coq de Leon and Brahma feathers

The finest fly tying reference book of all time. Drawing on the designs and innovations of the best fly tyers, both past and present, Eric Leiser interprets more than one thousand classic and contemporary fly patterns. Here is all the information (hook sizes, materials, etc.) needed in order to dress the pattern properly, with professional tips for solving specific problems. Inside are more than one thousand fly patterns—for all manner of flies (including dry flies, terrestrials, caddis flies, midges, spinners, parachute flies, stoneflies, wet flies, emergers, and nymphs, as well as attractor patterns and bait fish imitations) that are fished for trout, bass, and others—more than 130 silhouette drawings showing the correct proportions of flies, a discussion of different types of hooks, a glossary of materials including the very latest innovations, and much more. A reference and true classic, The Book of Fly Patterns is a must for every professional and amateur fly tyer. Skyhorse Publishing is proud to publish a broad range of books for fishermen. Our books for anglers include titles that focus on fly fishing, bait fishing, fly-casting, spin casting, deep sea fishing, and surf fishing. Our books offer both practical advice on tackle, techniques, knots, and more, as well as lyrical prose on fishing for bass, trout, salmon, crappie, baitfish, catfish, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Covers all major regions, including the Catskills and Adirondacks Follow-up to Pocketguide to Pennsylvania Hatches set in New York, featuring New York's most outstanding fly patterns Detailed hatch charts, color photos of each insect, and recipes and photos of the author's recommended fly patterns for each hatch Common and Latin names for each insect, size range (hook and natural), descriptions of all life stages of the insect, emergence time and date, and tactics for fishing Over 55 insects and 94 fly patterns

Written in language that is accessible to the sports fisherman and the naturalist and with over 1,000 original illustrations, the book includes features such as coverage of all insect families and genera important to fly fishing; comphrensive treatment of the biology of all life stages of aquatic insects including terrestrial as well as aquatic stages; special chapters on shore dwelling insects, insects associated with aquatic vascular plants, residents of tree holes and plant cups, aquatic arachnids and freshwater crustaceans.